Engine weapons



April 30, 1968 D. E. NELscN ENGINE WEAPONS Filed Oct. 19. 1966 INVENTOR.@gw

mm w l L 1| MM N w N h* -.|H S t Q 3 u -ww ,.IIWW w.. Q mm NIW "nml l fmmw Om nw l u o NN wv mv \o1 ma: m, fm2/t snow @i United States Patent O3,380,345 ENGINE WEAPONS Daniel Emmet Nelson, Aptos, Calif., assignor toGeneral Kinetics Corporation, Monterey, Calif., a corporation ofCalifornia Filed Oct. 19, 1966, Ser. No. 587,757 4 Claims. (Cl. 89-7)This invention relates to a new and useful engine weapon and inparticular to an engine weapon in which cornbustion pressure for tiringprojectiles is achieved through a multiple staged compression cylinderactivated by a spring, combustion is achieved in a rotatable air celland projectiles are loaded with a clam-type breech.

The objectives of this engine Weapon are to reduce the weight and costof ammunition, decrease friction in automatic tiring, provide a morereliable combustion for airhreathing liquidfuel engine weapons anddecrease the weight of guns.

The novel features that are characteristic of the invention are setforth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself,however, both as to its organization and method of operation, togetherwith additional objectives and advantages thereof, is explained in thefollowing specifications.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. l is a cross-sectional side view of the operational features.

FIG. 2 is an isometric cut-away side view of three-inch bore weaponembodying the principles of this invention for firing at 2,000 roundsper minute.

FIG. 3 is a side view of a hand-held weapon embodying the principles ofthis invention for automatic firing at the rate of 3,000 rounds a minuteusing standard smallbore, .223 caliber projectiles. A disposableprojectile case loaded with 500 projectiles and sufficient liquid fuelat the center for firing would weigh one pound. The gun could be made toweigh as little as three pounds. One man could therefore carry 5,000rounds in place of the present standard of 100 or high of 200 rounds ofthe same projectile.

FIG. 4 is a side view cut-away of a spring-fed, drum type magazine. Itcan also be used as a brace for holding the hand gun against the bodyfor tiring from the hip when the gun is being carried by atelescope-handle cornbination.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view of the breech and connector rod cam.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view of the connector rod cam from the top andthe bottom of the compression piston sleeve.

The operation of these improvements in `an engine weapon is accomplishedin the following manner.

A rotatable air cell 1 is provided With an intake port 2, an exhaustport 3 and a gear tooth 4. Air is compressed into the air cell when itis rotated to a position in which the exhaust port is closed by contactwith the air cell seat S. After combustion, the air cell is rotated to aposition in which the exhaust port is open and combustion pressure isdirected against a projectile 6 in a breech 7.

Air is compressed into the air cell by the reciprocating travel ofcompression piston 8. When the piston away from the air cell, air in afirst stage cylinder 9 is compressed into a second stage cylinder 10through ports 1l with one-way valves 12. When the piston travels towardsthe air cell, air in the second stage cylinder 10 is cornpressed into athird stage cylinder 13 through third stage ports 14 and third stagevalves 15; a new charge of air is drawn into the rst stage cylinder 9through initial intake ports 16, first stage ports 17 and rst stagevalves 18; and air in the third stage cylinder 13 is compressed into theair cell through intake channel I9.

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Thorough scavenging of exhaust gas and an air ow overrun for cooling arecaused when the piston is at the end of hte stroke away from the aircell. The air cell is caused to rotate to a position in which the intakeport 2 is in line with scavenging channel 20 and exhaust gas in thethird stage cylinder will escape through the air cell. A suflicientportion of air for complete scavenging and cooling then passes from thesecond stage cylinder, into the third stage cylinder where the exhaustgas is replaced and through the air cell, the breech and the bore 21 forcooling the device.

Cooling will require approximately 50 to 60 percent airow overrun for anaverage tube or bore heat of 1.200 degrees F. in sustained automaticfiring.

A compression spring 22 causes forward movement of the compressor pistonand causes a recoilicss etfect. The piston is linked to the compressor'spring by piston connector rods 23 that are extended between the pistonsleeve 24 and the spring.

The gun is held in a cocked position when the conipressor spring tensionis prevented from moving the piston forward by a trigger 25 in a triggerslot 26. When the trigger is disengaged, it allows the piston to travelforward for initiation of a combustion cycle. When the trigger isreleased, it again engages the trigger slot and operation is stopped.

Ignition is achieved by a combination of electrical spark, compressionheat, spray injection of fuel, air ccll swirl, venturi-inducedatomization of fuel, regenerative heating of intake air and fuel, andfuel vaporization on the combustion cylinder walls. A spark plug 27 isprovided with electrical current by passage of a coil 28 on generatorshaft 29 between permanent magnets 30. Current is stored in capacitor 31until the top of the stroke is reached. A capacitor spring 51 is thencompressed to allow the capacitor to engage the spark line 52.

Fuel is injected through nozzle 32 by action of pump plunger 33 justprior to spark ignition at the top of the stroke. It is injected bothinto the third stage cylinder and into the air cell. This providescombustion for rearward actuation of the piston and a separate charge offuel in the air cell for propelling the projectile.

Rearward motion of the fuel plunger 33 is caused by fuel pump spring 34to draw fuel into pump chamber 35 through inlet channel or fuel line 36past fuel pump inlet valve 37. Forward movement of the plunger is causedby contact and pressure on the plunger from the capacitor and the coilwhen the stroke is near the forward end.

Loading of projectiles is accomplished with a clamtype breech 7. Thebreech is opened to receive projectiles by the outward pressure ofbreech spring 38 and is closed to contain them for ejection by theaction of the piston connector rod cams 39.

The engine weapon is contained in a housing 40. The inside housing wallprovides the first stage cylinder wall 41 and the second stage cylinderwall 42. A capacitor for a cylindrical air cleaner and the generator isprovided by the space between the outside of the magnet and the insideof the housing wall.

Lubrication is provided by the kerosene or other fuel with lubricationqualities. It is conveyed from the fuel injector through ringlubricating channel 43 to compressor rings 44. It is further transferredthrough cell lubrication channel 45 to inner sleeve rings 46 and outersleeve rings 47; to the air cell scat and to the cam breech hinge 48.

Projectiles in the hand-held weapon are fed from a drum 49. Thehand-held gun can be carried by a handletelescope combination 50 andfired from the hip or in conventional position. A drum housing 51 can-be used for bracing the gun when fired from the hip position. Theshells would be fed into the gun by loader spring 52 in :lock-typespring action. Kerosene or other fuel for the 500 to 300 rounds in thedrum could be contained in a lrum fuel container 53 and piped to the gunthrough a 'nel supply tube 54. Using the gun in this manner would giveone soldier in the eld the tire power of a squad of nachine gunners.Equally important, he and his amnunition would weight one-tenth theweight and require netenth the carrying capacity of vehicles of hispresent :quad counterpart. Ammunition carried would be equal o an entirecompany.

This gun used in automatic large-bore operation vould provide the rateof projectile ow of the combined trtillery of more than a completemilitary division as now fonstituted. The rate of projectile ilowreferenced is in erms the weight of explosive projectiles per minute.The gun would Weight approximately ten percent as much is a present guncapable of firing the same sized round f ammunition. Ammunition carryingcapacity would be :qually advantageous owing to the 60 to 70 percentderrease in shell weight and the decrease in container and 'chiclecarrying requirements for equal quantities. These .dvantages applysimilarly to aircraft and helicopter guns.

As will be apparent to one skilled in the art, various `hanges andnumerous modifications of the disclosed tructures may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit if the invention, and all of such changes arecontemplated .s may come within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. An engine weapon comprising:

an air cell with intake port, exhaust port and gear tooth;

an air cell seat in pivotable contact with the outside periphery of saidair cell;

an intake channel, scavenging channel and exhaust channel in Said aircell seat;

a clam type breech positioned at the outlet of the exhaust channel;

a bore at the opposite side of the `breech from the air cell;

a cylinder with a large diameter and a small diameter connected to saidbore;

a piston in slidable contact with the inside periphery of thelarge-diameter portion of said cylinder;

a piston sleeve in slidable contact with the small-diameter portion ofthe inside periphery of said cylinder and with the outside periphery ofthe air cell seat;

a compressor-recoil spring attached to an extension of said cylinder;

connector rods connecting said spring and said piston sleeve;

a gear tooth groove in one of said connector rods;

`cams in said connector rods in slidable contact with said breech inspring-opposing relationship to said breech;

a breech spring in opening-pressure relationship to the breech;

a cylinder base;

ports with one-way inlet valves at the base of the cylinder;

prising:

a member attached to the base of the piston and extended in slidablecontact through the cylinder base;

a shoulder on said member;

a plunger between said shoulder and the cylinder base in slidablecontact around the outside periphery of said member;

a plunger spring between said plunger and said cylinder base;

a pump housing;

an inlet port provided with one-way valve and extended from the outsideto the inside of said housing; and

an injection tube provided with a one-way valve and extended from theinside of the cylinder to a position at the base of the member at whichthe entrance to said tube is in communication with a portion of the tubebetween the cylinder hase and the plunger when the piston is near theend of the stroke in the direction of the air cell and fuel drawnbetween the plunger and the cylinder base can be pumped into thecylinder.

3. An engine weapon substantially as described in claim 1 above andhaving an ignition means comprising:

a member attached to the base of the piston and extended in slidablecontact with and through the cylinder base;

a coil and shoulder on said member;

a slidable capacitor on said member between the cylinder base and thecoil shoulder;

a spark plug at the inside of said piston;

a conductor between said capacitor and said spark plug;

a capacitor spring between said capacitor and coil shoulder;

magnets in slidable electrical generating relationship around theoutside periphery of said coil; and

a conductor between said coil and said capacitor.

4. An engine weapon substantially as described in claim 1 above andhaving a loading mechanism cornprising:

a projectile magazine drum;

a projectile divider coil spring member;

a fuel container in said drum; and

a fuel line from said fuel container to the fuel injector pump inlet.

No references cited.

SAMUEL W. ENGLE, Primary Examiner.

1. AN ENGINE WEAPON COMPRISING: AN AIR CELL WITH INTAKE PORT, EXHAUST PORT AND GEAR TOOTH; AN AIR CELL SEAT IN PIVOTABLE CONTACT WITH THE OUTSIDE PERIPHERY OF SAID AIR CELL; AN INTAKE CHANNEL, SCAVENGING CHANNEL AND EXHAUST CHANNEL IN SAID AIR CELL SEAT; A CLAMP TYPE BREECH POSITIONED AT THE OUTLET OF THE EXHAUST CHANNEL; A BORE AT THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE BREECH FROM THE AIR CELL; A CYLINDER WITH A LARGE DIAMETER AND A SMALL DIAMETER CONNECTED TO SAID BORE; A PISTON IN SLIDABLE CONTACT WITH THE INSIDE PERIPHERY OF THE LARGE-DIAMETER PORTION OF SAID CYLINDER; A PISTON SLEEVE IN SLIDABLE CONTACT WITH THE SMALL-DIAMETER PORTION OF THE INSIDE PERIPHERY OF SAID CYLINDER AND WITH THE OUTSIDE PERIPHERY OF THE AIR CELL SEAT; A COMPRESSOR-RECOIL SPRING ATTACHED TO AN EXTENSION OF SAID CYLINDER; CONNECTOR RODS CONNECTING SAID SPRING AND SAID PISTON SLEEVE; A GEAR TOOTH GROOVE IN ONE OF SAID CONNECTOR RODS; CAMS IN SAID CONNECTOR RODS IN SLIDABLE CONTACT WITH SAID BREECH IN SPRING-OPPOSING RELATIONSHIP TO SAID BREECH; A BREECH SPRING IN OPENING-PRESSURE RELATIONSHIP TO THE BREECH; A CYLINDER BASE; PORTS WITH ONE-WAY INLET VALVES AT THE BASE OF THE CYLINDER; PORTS WITH ONE-WAY INLET VALVES AT THE PORTION OF THE PISTON THAT IS EXTENDED BEYOND THE OUTSIDE PERIPHERY OF THE SLEEVES; PORTS PROVIDED WITH ONE-WAY INLET VALVES AND EXTENDED FROM THE OUTSIDE TO THE INSIDE OF SAID SLEEVES A COMPRESSOR SPRING RELEASE MEANS; A FUEL INJECTION MEANS; AND AN IGNITION MEANS. 